Entomology Commons^™

Flight Period And Species Composition Of Sirex (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) And Associated Deladenus (Nematoda: Neotylenchidae) Within Arkansas Pine Forests, Danielle Keeler

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The European woodwasp, Sirex noctilio F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae), which is a known destructive pest of pine in the southern hemisphere was recently discovered in the eastern United States. Before we can understand how S. noctilio may affect pine forests throughout the United States, we need a better understanding of native Sirex and the role they play in the ecosystem. The objectives of this research were to 1) determine species composition and flight period for native Sirex; 2) confirm presence of parasitic nematodes, Deladenus (Nematoda: Neotylenchidae), within adult Sirex; 3) investigate Deladenus parasitism rates; 4) verify the number of Deladenus species …

Nature's Perfect Food, Geoffrey D. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

Nature's Perfect Food is an article that describes the history of local beekeeper Jack Hartman and the benefit of local honey bees to agriculture and honey consumers.

Factors Affecting The Distribution And Survival Of Endangered American Burying Beetles, Nicrophorus Americanus Olivier, Jessica Jurzenski

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The disappearance of the federally endangered American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus Olivier) over most of its range is poorly understood, which is why the identification and evaluation of conservation measures is important. The presence and distribution of all carrion beetles in Nebraska was first reported to help understand where American burying beetles (ABBs) occur to aid in creating a habitat suitability model for the Sandhills ecoregion and to locate suitable experiment areas. There are 18 Nebraska counties with records of ABB presence in the last 15 years. The final habitat suitability model performed well with an AUC value above …

Effect Of Distribution And Concentration Of Topically Applied Neonicotinoid Insecticides In Buffalograss, Buchloe Dactyloides, Leaf Tissues On The Differential Mortality Of Blissus Occiduus Under Field Conditions, Mitchell D. Stamm, Tiffany M. Heng-Moss, Frederick P. Baxendale, Blair D. Siegfried, Roch E. Gaussoin, Daniel D. Snow, David A. Cassada

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Background: Neonicotinoid insecticides are generally efficacious against many turfgrass pests, including several important phloem-feeding insects. However, inconsistencies in control of western chinch bugs, Blissus occiduus, have been documented in field efficacy studies. This research investigated the efficacy of three neonicotinoid insecticides (clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam) against B. occiduus in buffalograss under field conditions and detected statistically significant differences in B. occiduus numbers among treatments. A subsequent study documented the relative quantity and degradation rate of these insecticides in buffalograss systemic leaf tissues, using HPLC.

Results: Neonicotinoid insecticides initially provided significant reductions in B. occiduus numbers, but mortality diminished over the …

High-Throughput Transcriptome Sequencing For Snp And Gene Discovery In A Moth, Nicholas J. Miller, Jing Sun, Thomas W. Sappington

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Smith) (Leptidoptera: Noctuidae) is a pest of corn (Zea mays L.) and dry beans that underwent a dramatic range expansion in North America during the first decade of the 21st century. Research into the population genetics of this species has been hindered by a lack of genetic markers. The transcriptome of adult male S. albicosta was partially sequenced using Illumina sequencing-by-synthesis. Assembly of the sequence reads yielded 16,847 transcript sequences, of which 6,631 could be assigned a putative function. A search for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified 2,487 candidate SNPs distributed among 1,265 …

Seasonal Population Dynamics Of The Potato Psyllid (Hemiptera: Triozidae) And Its Associated Pathogen “Candidatus Liberibacter Solanacearum” In Potatoes In The Southern Great Plains Of North America, John A. Goolsby, John J. Adamczyk Jr., J. M. Crosslin, Noel N. Troxclair, J. R. Ancisco, Gerhard G. Bester, J. D. Bradshaw, Edsel D. Bynum Jr., L. A. Carpio, Don C. Henne, Ankush Joshi, Joseph E. Munyaneza, Pat Porter, Phillip E. Sloderbeck, J. R. Supak, C. M. Rush, F. J. Willett, B. J. Zechmann, B. A. Zens

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc) (Hemiptera: Triozidae), and its associated pathogen “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum” (Ca. L. solanacearum), the putative causal agent of zebra chip (ZC) disease in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.), were sampled in commercial potato fields and untreated control plots for 3 yr in multiple locations in Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado. Populations of the potato psyllid varied across years and across potato growing regions. However, the percentage of potato psyllids infected with Ca. L. solanacearum although variable across years, was consistently highest in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas (LRGV), the reported overwintering …

Trapping And Control Of The Small Hive Beetle, Aethina Tumida, An Invasive Parasite Of Honey Bees, Apis Mellifera, Shannon Peterson

All Theses

The small hive beetle, Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), is one of the most recent honey bee pests of economic importance, especially in the southeastern United States. Various in-hive traps have been developed to attempt to control the populations of this invasive pest within honey bee colonies. The first year of my research focused on comparing the effectiveness of three commercially available traps for removing small hive beetles. Thirty-two colonies were established with 0.9-kg package bees with a queen in four apiaries. Eight colonies were placed in each apiary, each colony randomly receiving one of four treatments: the three-chambered Hood …

Chromosomal Patterns In Populations Of The Black Fly Simulium Fibrinflatum Twinn (Diptera: Simuliidae), Kyle Parks

All Theses

Cryptic species are an important component of biodiversity, although most cryptic species have yet to be discovered. Cytogenetic studies of polytene chromosomes offer a unique level of resolution for detecting cryptic species in the family Simuliidae. Simulium fibrinflatum is a black fly morphospecies that is suspected to contain cryptic species because of its broad geographic range and variable pupal gill structure. Populations of Simulium fibrinflatum from the Saugahatchee River, AL; Anthony Shoals, GA; LaHave River, Nova Scotia; Westfield River, MA; Chauga River, SC; and Enoree River, SC, were sampled and cytogenetically analyzed to test for the presence of cryptic species. …

Fluid Uptake By The Lepidopteran Proboscis In Relation To Structure, Karena Kwauk

All Theses

Three species of butterflies--eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus L.), monarch (Danaus plexippus L.), and painted lady (Vanessa cardui L.)--were used to investigate the effect that exposing multiple regions of the proboscis to fluid has on feeding rate. Although the lepidopteran proboscis historically has been considered a sealed tube with a specialized region near the tip for fluid uptake, droplets of 1% sucrose solution were shown to enter multiple locations along the proboscis. Feeding experiments were conducted comparing fluid uptake rates of butterflies with their proboscises either fully or partially submerged in 1% or 15% sucrose solutions. Only one significant relationship …

Efficacy Of Precision-Applied In-Furrow Insecticide/Nematicide And Seed Treatments On Populations Of Thrips And Nematodes In Cotton, Ginger Devinney

All Theses

Thrips and nematodes can be serious early-season pests of cotton grown on the highly variable soil types common in the southeastern United States. I examined the effects of precision-applied aldicarb (Temik¨ 15G) and seed treatments (Aeris¨ and Avicta Complete Pak¨) on population dynamics of thrips and nematodes in management zones defined by soil texture as measured by soil electrical conductivity (EC). Research plots were established in cotton fields with variable soil types at the Clemson University Edisto Research and Education Center near Blackville, SC, during May of 2010 and 2011. Research plots were arranged in a three-way factorial design, with …

Ecology And Phylogeny Of The Biting-Midge Genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Dustin Swanson

All Dissertations

Flies of the genus Culicoides are small, biting midges in the family Ceratopogonidae. These flies are of medical, veterinary, and economic importance because their blood-feeding behavior can cause stress to hosts and transmit disease agents. Despite the importance of these flies, little is known about their biology, especially the ecology of the immature stages and the phylogenetic relationships among taxa. The objectives of my study were to address these two areas of Culicoides biology.
Larval Culicoides were collected from aquatic habitats in four ecoregions of South Carolina, USA. Eleven ecological variables were recorded for each sample. Larvae were identified by …

Mass Spectral Determination Of Phenylacetonitrile (Pan) Levels In Body Tissues Of Adult Desert Locust, Schistocerca Gregaria, Peris W. Amwayi, Daniel K. Masiga, Prem Govender, Peter E.A. Teal, Baldwyn Torto

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Wings and legs of the gregarious desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria have been shown to be release sites of phenylacetonitrile (PAN), the major adult male-produced pheromone. However, there is limited information on the distribution of PAN within the locust. Here we show, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), that PAN occurs in nearly all body parts of both adult males and females of the locust in varying amounts. PAN was 20-fold more concentrated in males than in females. In females, PAN was concentrated more in the tarsal segments. The greatest amounts of PAN were in 2- and 3-week old female and male …

Palaeoenvironmental Shifts Drove The Adaptive Radiation Of A Noctuid Stemborer Tribe (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Apameini) In The Miocene, Emmanuel F.A. Toussaint, Fabien L. Condamine, Gael J. Kergoat, Claire Capdevielle-Dulac, Jérôme Barbut, Jean François Silvain, Bruno P. Le Ru

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Between the late Oligocene and the early Miocene, climatic changes have shattered the faunal and floral communities and drove the apparition of new ecological niches. Grassland biomes began to supplant forestlands, thus favouring a large-scale ecosystem turnover. The independent adaptive radiations of several mammal lineages through the evolution of key innovations are classic examples of these changes. However, little is known concerning the evolutionary history of other herbivorous groups in relation with this modified environment. It is especially the case in phytophagous insect communities, which have been rarely studied in this context despite their ecological importance. Here, we investigate the …

Surveillance Of Mosquitoes For Arthropod-Borne Viruses In El Paso, Tx., Stephanie Coronado, Douglas Watts

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Summer 2012

West Nile encephalitis is the only arthropod-borne virus that causes annual cases of human illness in El Paso, Texas. Cases more commonly affect the young and elderly and the illness may range from a mild febrile disease to fatal encephalitis. The primary vector(s) of West Nile virus are Culex species mosquitoes, including Culex tarsalis and Culex quinquefaciatus. Further, surveillance is needed to determine the relative importance of these and possibly other mosquito species. More recently, cases of dengue fever and fatal hemorrhagic fever have been occurring in communities along the USA-Mexico border. Dengue has been endemic in Mexico since the …

Molecular Identification Of Synanthedonini Members (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) Using Cytochrome Oxidase I, Jason A. Hansen, William E. Klingeman, J. Kevin Moulton, Jason B. Oliver, Mark T. Windham, Aijun Zhang, Robert N. Trigiano

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Many North American sesiid moths within Synanthodonini have been studied extensively because their feeding activity can cause detrimental economic and esthetic impacts to many commercially important ornamental and native plant species. Recent discoveries of nonnative clearwing moth pest introductions [e.g., Synanthedon myopaeformis (Borkh.)], reinforce the need for reliable and accurate molecular diagnostic tools that can be used by nontaxonomic experts, particularly when juvenile life stages are recovered from infested host-plant tissues. Cytochrome oxidase I (cox I) previously has been used to successfully identify species and resolve species complexes. In this study, the cox I phylogeny inferred from sequences generated from …

A New Species Of Saphonecrus (Hymenoptera, Cynipoidea) Associated With Plant Galls On Castanopsis (Fagaceae) In China, Zhiwei Liu, Xiao-Hui Yang, Dao-Hong Zhu, Yi-Yuan He

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

A new cynipid species, Saphonecrus hupingshanensis Liu, Yang, et Zhu, sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Synergini), is described from China. This is the first species of the inquilinous tribe Synergini ever known to have an association with chinquapins (Fagaceae: Castanopsis). The biology and implication to species diversity of Cynipidae in eastern and southeast Asia are discussed.

A New Species Of Saphonecrus (Hymenoptera, Cynipoidea) Associated With Plant Galls On Castanopsis (Fagaceae) In China, Zhiwei Liu, Xiao-Hui Yang, Dao-Hong Zhu, Yi-Yuan He

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

A new cynipid species, Saphonecrus hupingshanensis Liu, Yang, et Zhu, sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Synergini), is described from China. This is the first species of the inquilinous tribe Synergini ever known to have an association with chinquapins (Fagaceae: Castanopsis). The biology and implication to species diversity of Cynipidae in eastern and southeast Asia are discussed.

Penetration Of Termiticide Treatments Into Gravel Used As A Construction Fill Material, Chris J. Peterson

Midsouth Entomologist

The penetration of five termiticidal suspensions (Termidor, Premise, Talstar, Phantom, and Transport) was examined in packed columns in the laboratory, in which each column incorporated a top gravel layer and a lower soil layer. This simulates common building practices in some parts of the United States. The highest doses were usually found at the top of the soil layer beneath the gravel, indicating that the applied suspension (at either the normal labeled volume or a higher volume allowed for treating gravel) penetrated to the soil below at levels sufficient to kill termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). The active ingredients were retained by …

Insect Succession On Pig Carrion In North-Central Mississippi, J. Goddard, D. Fleming, J. L. Seltzer, S. Anderson, C. Chesnut, M. Cook, E. L. Davis, B. Lyle, S. Miller, E. A. Sansevere, W. Schubert

Midsouth Entomologist

A freshly-euthanized 90 kg Yucatan mini pig, Sus scrofa domesticus, was placed outdoors on 21 March 2012, at the Mississippi State University South Farm and two teams of students from the Forensic Entomology class were assigned to take daily (weekends excluded) environmental measurements and insect collections at each stage of decomposition until the end of the semester (42 days). Assessment of data from the pig revealed a successional pattern similar to that previously published – fresh, bloat, active decay, and advanced decay stages (the pig specimen never fully entered a dry stage before the semester ended). Over 2,300 immature and …

Nectar Plants Utilized By Butterflies At Trail Of Tears State Park, Missouri, Mike Smart, Kent Fothergill, Christopher D. Crabtree

Midsouth Entomologist

No abstract provided.

The Phylogeny And Classification Of Embioptera (Insecta), Janice Edgerly-Rooks, Kelly Miller, Cheryl Hayashi, Michael Whiting, Gavin Svenson

Biology

A phylogenetic analysis of the order Embioptera is presented with a revised classification based on results of the analysis. Eighty-two species of Embioptera are included from all families except Paedembiidae Ross and Embonychidae Navás. Monophyly of each of the eight remaining currently recognized families is tested except Andesembiidae Ross, for which only a single species was included. Nine outgroup taxa are included from Blattaria, Grylloblattaria, Mantodea, Mantophasmatodea, Orthoptera, Phasmida and Plecoptera. Ninety-six morphological characters were analysed along with DNA sequence data from the five genes 16S rRNA, 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, cytochrome c oxidase I and histone III. Data were …

Nebline, July 2012

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: 4-H Food Booth at Super Fair Volunteers Have Fun, Rewarding Experience

Farm Views

Urban Agriculture

Food & Fitness

Home & Family Living

Horticulture

Environmental Focus

4-H & Youth

Community Focus

Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

and other extension news and events

Seasonal Photoperiods Alter Developmental Time And Mass Of An Invasive Mosquito, Aedes Albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae), Across Its North-South Range In The United States, Steven A. Juliano, Donald A. Yee, Steven M. Vamosi

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Skuse), is perhaps the most successful invasive mosquito species in contemporary history. In the United States, Ae. albopictus has spread from its introduction point in southern Texas to as far north as New Jersey (i.e., a span of approximate to 14 degrees latitude). This species experiences seasonal constraints in activity because of cold temperatures in winter in the northern United States, but is active year-round in the south. We performed a laboratory experiment to examine how life-history traits of Ae. albopictus from four populations (New Jersey [39.4 degrees N], Virginia [38.6 degrees N], North …

A Century And A Half Of Research On The Stable Fly, Stomoxys Calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae), 1862-2011: An Annotated Bibliography, K. M. Kneeland, Steven R. Skoda, Jerome A. Hogsette, A. Y. Li, Jaime Molina-Ochoa, Kimberly Hutchinson Lohmeyer, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans, is a cosmopolitan pest of livestock, wild animals, pets, and humans. It is a primary pest of cattle in the United States, estimated to cause more than $1 billion in economic losses annually. It also causes dissension at the rural-urban interface and is a problem in recreation areas such as Florida beaches and the Great Lakes. Due to its pestiferous nature and painful bite, methods to control stable flies have been investigated for over a century. A large amount of research has been reported on stable fly biology, ecology, genetics, physiology, and vector competence. …

Wing Shape As An Indicator Of Larval Rearing Conditions For Aedes Albopictus And Aedes Aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae), C R. Stephens, Steven A. Juliano

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Estimating a mosquito's vector competence, or likelihood of transmitting disease, if it takes an infectious bloodmeal, is an important aspect of predicting when and where outbreaks of infectious diseases will occur. Vector competence can be affected by rearing temperature and inter- and intraspecific competition experienced by the individual mosquito during its larval development. This research investigates whether a new morphological indicator of larval rearing conditions, wing shape, can be used to distinguish reliably temperature and competitive conditions experienced during larval stages. Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae were reared in low intraspecific, high intraspecific, or high …

Bark Beetles, Ryan S. Davis, Darren Mcavoy

All Current Publications

Bark beetles are one of the most destructive forest pests in the world. They are different than the larger longhorned and roundheaded/metallic woodboring beetles commonly infesting the inner wood of trees. The largest bark beetle, the red turpentine beetle (Dendroctonus valens), reaches only 8.3 mm in length. Because of their tiny size, bark beetles are not effective tree killers as individuals.

Millipeds From The Eastern Dakotas And Western Minnesota, Usa, With An Account Of Pseudopolydesmus Serratus (Say, 1821) (Polydesmida: Polydesmidae); First Published Records From Six States And The District Of Columbia, Rowland M. Shelley, Bruce A. Snyder

Insecta Mundi

The diplopod orders Callipodida and Polydesmida, and their respective families Abacionidae and Xystodesmidae, are initially recorded from South Dakota as is Polydesmidae from North Dakota. Other new records of indigenous taxa include Abacion Rafinesque, 1820/A. texense (Loomis, 1937) and Pleuroloma/P. flavipes, both by Rafinesque, 1820, from South Dakota, and Pseudopolydesmus Attems, 1898/P. serratus (Say, 1821) from Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Carolina, and the District of Columbia. New records of Aniulus garius Chamberlin, 1912, A. (Hakiulus) d. diversifrons (Wood, 1867), and Oriulus venustus (Wood, 1864) (Julida: Parajulidae) are provided for western Minnesota and/or eastern …

Two New Genera Of Hispines (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae) From Ecuador, C. L. Staines, Laura Zamorano

Insecta Mundi

Bicristispa gracilis, new genus and new species, and Orbispa confluens, new genus and new species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), both from canopy fogging material from Ecuador are described and illustrated. Comparative notes distinguishing them from similar genera are provided.

Snoqualmia, A New Polydesmid Milliped Genus From The Northwestern United States, With A Description Of Two New Species (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Polydesmidae), William A. Shear

Insecta Mundi

Snoqualmia, new genus, is described for two species of polydesmid millipeds from the northwestern United States: Snoqualmia snoqualmie, new species, from Washington State, and S. idaho, new species, from Idaho. Males of S. idaho possess unusually complex gonopods, perhaps the most complex to be found in the Order Polydesmida. Snoqualmia is placed in context with other polydesmid genera known from North America. The polydesmid fauna of North America is discussed, as well as characters of the gonopods of the family.

First Records Of Micromalthidae And Jacobsoniidae (Coleoptera) In Alabama, Usa, Timothy N. King, R. Michael Brattain

Insecta Mundi

The first Alabama, USA, collection records of the families Micromalthidae and Jacobsoniidae (Coleoptera) are reported.